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Councillor Josh Colle is the newest member of Mayor Rob Ford’s executive committee.

The striking committee tapped Colle to replace Councillor Michelle Berardinetti on the powerful committee during a particularly raucous meeting Friday.

Colle — the unofficial leader of council’s mighty/mushy middle — said he was asked to join the executive committee.

“I think there is a lot of important work that needs to be done that we should be focusing on,” Colle said. “I think I can contribute to that discussion and hopefully some refocusing.”

The Ward 15, Eglinton-Lawrence councillor was earlier offered a committee chairmanship that he declined.

He dismissed the appointment would neutralize him as a member of council’s political middle.

“I intend to keep my independence,” he said. “What I’d like to see is kind of the policy and direction that comes to the council floor, more kind of even-handed and centrist. I think I can lend that voice.

“At the same time, I was pretty clear when approached about this I’ve got to vote the way I vote.”

Colle said he hopes to moderate what comes out of the executive committee.

“My hope is that I can inject some reason and ration and new ideas into some of those discussions,” he said.

Mayor Rob Ford sent a letter to the committee informing them he is appointing Councillor Jaye Robinson to be the new chairman of the Community Development and Recreation committee — replacing Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti. Despite the change, Mammoliti will stay on Ford’s executive as a member-at-large.

Councillor John Parker did try to get the striking committee to place Councillor Maria Augimeri on the executive committee but a majority of councillors voted against that move.

Councillor David Shiner did get into a heated exchange with staff from Ford’s office during the meeting. Shiner objected to being placed back on the public works committee.

“Your boss doesn’t consult, your boss works in a vacuum. The chief of staff doesn’t consult and guess what, you don’t win like that,” Shiner shouted across the room to Ford’s staff.

In the end, Shiner ended up on the economic development committee instead of public works.

After the striking committee wrangling was over, Councillor Doug Ford assured councillors his brother, the mayor, didn’t “want to hurt anyone” in the appointment process.

“His exact words were, ‘I don’t want to hurt anyone, I want everyone to have what they want,’ … by no means was this list malicious or anything,” Ford said. “It was just trying to fit everyone in and keep everyone happy and it almost impossible to keep everyone happy down here.”